How do I write? Interesting question. It’s not something I’ve thought about before, and I’m hoping I can put my process into words. All I know is this: I must write. There's no choice, no question about whether or not I should write, no worry about when I'll have the time. It's almost instinctual, built within me somehow. I welcome any chance to sit with my thoughts and create a story, and today, I thank Rachel Stirling for her invitation to join this blog tour and her faith in me. If I can write this blog even half as eloquently as she did last week, I’d be pleased. Visit her blog at wp.me/p3cqD7-rA, and you’ll see what I mean.What am I working on at the moment?

I have written two novels and am seeking representation for them. I am still editing my first middle grade, time travel novel, Angle of Incidents, but have queries out on my second novel, Anclote Manor, which is a young adult suspense. I've decided to query through June, and if I don't receive any interest by July, I will move forward with hiring an editor and self publish. I'm also working on a children's book on birds.

In the meantime, I’ve been spending most of my time building my presence on Twitter. Part of this involves writing blogs for my author page, www.sandiewill.com, where I explain my process for building a following on Twitter and my progress on a weekly basis. Another part involves my science webpage, www.rockheadsciences.com, where I write blogs on my experiences as a hydrogeologist on a monthly basis.

I will also be involved with creating scientific experiments and writing lab manuals in alternative energy and hydrogeology for Einstein in a Box this summer. The boxes are sent to families on a monthly basis to work on a new theme each month and the lab manuals promote critical thinking while building the experiments.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

There is usually some element of science or history intertwined in the pages. I can’t help it. It’s something I seem to levitate toward, as if I’m trying to educate the reader, even if it’s in a small way. I love to do research and see where I can make it fit with the characters or story of the day.

Why do I write what I do?

Passion. It’s a need. And I don’t know when the transition into writing fiction novels occurred. I was a technical writer for many years and am doing less of it with my current job, so I think writing on my own time fulfills some void. With my novels, I tend to write for younger audiences, and I think it’s because I can relate to them. I love to hear about their dating dramas, tests and future plans.

How does my writing process work?

It starts with a fleeting thought - a curiosity about something, and I immediately write it down. Just a few lines so I can remember it later. If I forget about it, I don’t revisit it. I only write on the ideas that nag me. The ones that interfere with my life and start living in my mind. And then the process of generating the story overwhelms me, causing me to live the characters in some ways. As I write, I hide myself in my writing room, because during that time, I act out the lines, feel the emotion of the characters and live what they live. And no way do I want anyone witnessing this insanity or interrupting me. I’ll live and breath the book, article, blog, whatever until it’s done. Doesn’t matter how big or small, I will sit at my desk as much as I can and finish. And every time I do, I feel satisfied until two days later when a fleeting thought catches hold on my curiosity once again. So to answer the question, 'How do I write?,' it's more than a process for me. It's a cyclic experience that takes me on a journey before anyone else even sees the printed words. And I'm always ready for the next ride.

Up next week:

The following writers have graciously accepted to be next in line for the blog tour, and I’m ecstatic to introduce them to you. I have known Bethanne for a long time. We lost touch when I left for Florida during junior high school, but it's been great to reconnect with her over the past few years. Sandie is a new friend from Twitter, and Charlie is my husband.

Bethanne Patrick, writer, author and journalist, is above all a reader, one who has built her career on talking and writing about books. Whether she’s recommending a great book, interviewing a novelist or promoting reading online, Bethanne covers both the creative and digital side of the publishing industry. In 2009, she founded the popular #FridayReads hashtag under the Twitter handle @TheBookMaven. The weekly #FridayReads conversation, which peaks on Fridays but runs 24/7, attracts thousands of readers around the world. Bethanne is the author of two books, An Uncommon History of Common Things (co-authored with John Thompson) and An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy, both from National Geographic Books. She writes a monthly column for Virginia Quarterly Review on feminism and culture. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, AARP The Magazine, the Daily Beast, TheAtlantic.com and O the Oprah Magazine. Other credits include PAGES Magazine, where she was an editor-at-large for four years; moderator of “Centerstage,” Barnes & Noble’s first online book club; and a blogger for Publisher’s Weekly. http://www.bethannepatrick.com/blog/

Sandie Docker is an aspiring author of contemporary women’s fiction. She is currently querying her first novel, THE POINT, and working on her second, THIS SHADOW LIFE. Sandie came to writing quite by accident after her university Mandarin lecturer suggested she take up writing on the back of a translation course she was doing at the time. That idea sat quietly at the back of Sandie’s mind for quite some time before she decided to do anything about it, but once she put pen to paper (yes, she writes everything the old fashioned way before hitting a keyboard), she knew there was nothing else she wanted to do with her life. She is a stay-at-home mum pursuing her writing dream in those rare moments between motherhood and wifedom in a sunny corner of Sydney, Australia. http://www.sandiedocker.blogspot.com

Charlie Will is a 49-year-old guy who recently started a rowing and fitness blog. The tagline to his website is, “A near-quinquagenarian’s journey to elite fitness.” A quinquagenarian is someone between the ages of 50 and 59. He's almost there, but healthy and fit people in their 50s are not really uncommon. In addition to being an old man, he has severe osteoarthritis in his left knee, stemming from an injury sustained in high school. In Charlie's blog, he writes about the treatments to his knee and looming knee replacement. He was devastated after not being able to run, but soon found the sport of rowing—both on the water and with a rowing machine (called an erg). The challenge with rowing is great; but the opportunity to excel in performance-based athletics is greater still! He has been married to Sandie Will for 26 years and has two sons in college. His entire career was (and still is) in the IT industry and he currently works for a distributor as a systems engineer. He also enjoys writing and has kept a journal on-and-off throughout his life. The internet presents a great opportunity to share and see if what comes from his brain really is interesting! http://chuck-fit.com

Enjoyed learning about your process; I'm overdue for a post on a writing process blog tour myself, and it helps to see how others have done them. I too, have technical writing background, though I may be the only person ever to get a doctorate in Victorian religious literature in order to write about piston engines and MacPherson struts. Good luck in your query process. ;-) @prnancarrow

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Sandra Will

7/2/2014 05:58:38 am

Thanks, Paula! Glad you liked the post. Let me know if you end up doing a writing process post too. Would surely be interesting, given your background (too funny). My YA thriller was recently picked up by a publisher, so I'm on my way! Take care and good luck! --Sandie

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Sandie Will is an author who has a new YA psychological thriller - The Caging at Deadwater Manor. She is an avid blogger on this website as well as her science blog. She can be found on Twitter as @SandieWillBooks and @RockHeadScience, as well as her Facebook page at Sandie Will, Author.

"Enthusiasm with a scientist's rigor and a dollop of fun." --Rachel Stirling @Stirlingwriter